Monthly Archives: October 2012

I have started going to the gym again , got to loose some of this weight and get back into shape. It has been going real good, I do a lot of the aqua aerobics and such , I have to do the low impact stuff, too many jumps and to much running every morning for PT took its toll on my joints. Missing a bunch of cartilage in various places. The pool is great I can get a great aerobic work out in and my joints don’t ache for three days.Any way having said all that let me tell you why I didn’t go today and stayed home to work on the system I have been going and staying till 1000 or 1100 everyday, well when I came home I was beat and just really didn’t feel like getting out there and work. So today I got to work.

My old Miter Saw it gave up the ghost.

I got the carriage built for the grow beds and got a lot of the dry fitting done in the plumbing.

My plan called for four grow beds, but I made a slight miscalculation and only have room for three. So the end you see here on the right got cut off. Hope to use the fourth grow bed also. Just have to figure out where to put it.

Here are some of the project in the Greenhouse.

From the fish tank to the two pickle barrels that will go out to the grow beds.

Filling the tanks that the pump is in. these pump to the fish tank, and everything drains back to these.

I have been working on the system just not documenting it. Had a little snag the other day. Burned up my old Miter saw, So had to go to Lowes and get a new one, ah shucks…lol. Well got all the lumber cut and partially assembled. I did all that I could in the drive way. It is a better work surface than the backyard, not such a grade.

My New Toy

The rails for the carriage

The rest of the carriage.

Yesterday I got the rails on the IBC to hold the Duck Weed tank.

I have gotten started on the plumbing. I have the fitting in the fish tank where the water will flow to the two pickle barrels.

Also in the pickle barrel coming in from the fish tank, and the connection of the the two pickle barrels.

SO that is where the project is right now . Tomorrow I plan on putting the carriage that will hold the grow beds . I think it will be easier to put it together inside the greenhouse. we will see how that turn out.

I got out and cut the barrels in half yesterday. Then today I washed the insides of them. At first I thought it would be harder than it was. The rusty looking stains that were on the inside and tops of the barrels actually came off very easily. Just used the dish soap and scrub brush that I used on the pickle barrels. That got most of it and then detailed with Mr. Clean errasers, and it turned out pretty good.

Went yesterday to Pink Hill NC to get the rest of the barrels I needed to complete the system. I pick up 2 of the blue barrels 55 gal,with the bung holes that will be cut in half to make the Grow beds.

I also picked up 4 black pickle barrels, 60 gal ea. Two of these will be in the system and 2 for rain barrels.

I got the pickle barrels all cleaned out and ready to go . The blue ones I did a little bit on them I will get them thoroughly after I have cut them in half.

These are the 2 that will be the rain barrels.

Here are the two pickle barrels in place .

My original system had a catastrophic failure Sunday. THe left bank of grow beds had been slipping slowly toward the pond. So I needed to do something anyway , well one of the totes broke at the bottom and I was lucky I didn’t loose all the water. So I took the left bank out and the flood tank out. I piped the water directly to the right bank of grow beds. So they are now running continuously.

The rest of these are some plants I have brought into the green house because the nights are getting cooler.

The milk jugs are filled with water , part of the thermal mass.

OK thats it for today ,will start the plumbing tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to get it up and running soon. Might be running on a extenion cord for a little bit , I will eventually get it wired …I know Eric I will call before I start tat LOL..

Did you notice the volunteer tomato I have coming up out of the cinder block hole. I will keep it and see what it does. The rest are weeds and I will get rid of them.

I have several of my Gold Fish die in the tank. not all at once but one here and there . But today I had another one floating, this is two days in a row. I took a quick count and I am down to about a dozen , down from close to three dozen at the beginning. I tested the water and all the test were perfect.

The Ph was 7.4

Ammonia 0 ppm

nitrite 0 ppm

Nitrate 0 ppm

So not sure what the problem is , the fish all seem healthy. They are eating fine, and growing well they have tripled in size since the spring. We are not have really cool nights, and the pond is about 2 1/2 ft deep at the deepest point, I am stumped for now , I do have several resources to check. Will keep posted.